Heating apparatus



May 30, 1939. B. GOERG HEATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTTOR 1552/1/620604796 4; A ORNEY May 30, 1939. GOERG 2,160,802v

HEATING APPARATUS Filed D80. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fife/men Gaaea ATTO NEY Patented May 30, 1939 PATENT OFFICE HEATING APPARATUS Bernard Goerg, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 8, 1937, Serial No. 178,629

4 Claims.

My invention relates to heating apparatus and more particularly to improvements in draft regulating devices for furnaces.

It is an object of my invention to provide a draft regulating device, which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction; one which is relatively smooth in its operation and requires a relatively small operating force; one which is easy to adjust so that the furnace may be made to operate in any desired manner; and one which remains in adjustment, after it has once been made.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a boiler furnace in which my improvement is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the same plane as Fig. 2 and showing the draft check damper and operating means in their open position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentaryside elevation of the draft check damper and its operating means; v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the smoke pipe, the draft pouch, the draft check and draft dampers, and the operating linkage for the dampers; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section through the draft pouch and draft dampertaken on the line of Fig. 6.

Referring now in detail to the construction illustrated, the reference numeral l indicates a boiler furnace of the coal-fired type. In so far as the present invention is concerned, the boiler furnace I0 may be either a hot water boiler or a steam boiler, depending upon the particular heating system desired by the occupants of the house in'which the furnace is installed. The

reference character N indicates the usual firing door for'the furnace. and 2 the ash pit 'door.

Arranged at the rear of the furnace I0, is a draft pouch l3 which is formed as a single casting and is bolted to the rear side of the base of the furnace and provides a passage through which air for supporting combustion may flow into the furnace and beneath the usual grate (not shown). The reference character I4 indicates a flue or smoke pipe connection for the furnace, in which is located the customary stack damper l5 and to which is connected an offtake pipe |6 which conducts away the products of combustion to a chimney (not shown).

The upper end of the draft pouch I3 is shown as being provided with a rectangular shaped 10 draft inlet opening 20'through which the air for supporting combustion flows, and in' this opening 20 is pivotally mounted a draft damper 2| which is preferably of the butterfly type and controls the flow of air through the inlet 20 and into the furnace. Y

I provide a U-shaped frame 22 which extends along the upper definingwall and half way down the opposed defining side walls of the opening and is secured to the pouch by suitable screws '(not shown). The inner edges of the frame 22 overhang the adjacent defining walls of the opening 20, as shown in Fig. 7. The lower ends of the two legs of the U-shaped frame 22 are provided respectively with upstanding bearing lugs 24 which receive pivot pins 25. The draft damper 2| is here shown as comprising a pair of rectangular plates 26 and 21 secured together at their overlapping edges by suitable bolts 28. The plate 21 is provided at its upper corners with a pair of upwardly extending lugs 23 which receive respectively the pivot pins 25 carried by the bearing lugs 24. I

The aligned lugs 24' and 23 and pivot pins 25 form the pivotal support for the draft damper 2 I, about which the damper may be moved from opn to closed position, and vice versa. In the closed position of the draft damper 2|, the lower and side edges of the plate 21 engage the outer upper surfaces of the lower half of the defining walls of the opening 20 and the upper and side edges of the plate 26 engage the overhanging under surface of the frame 22. In opening, the plate 21 swings outwardly and the plate 26 inwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

The draft damper 2| is so constructed that it closes and remains closed by its own weight, the plate 21 being constructed heavier than the plate 26. The draft damper 2| includes an operating lug 29 which is secured at one end to the plate 21 50 and projects outwardly from one side of the damper and is provided with an opening or eye 30 at its outer end. When the lug 29 is lifted, the draft damper will move about its pivotal axis formed by the pins 25 to any desired open posi- 55,

cent defining walls of the opening. The lower ends" I of the frame 36 are provided with outwardly extending aligned bearing lugs which are adapted to receive bearing pins 38 and 39, respectively.

The draft-check damper 35 is also preferably of the butterfly type, as this construction permits a better balancing of the damper and thereby reduces the force required for its operation. The damper comprises a pair of plates 46 and 4|. secured together along their overlapping meeting edges by suitable bolts 42'. The plate 4| is provided at its upper corners with outwardly extending bearing lugs 43 which receive, respectively, the inner ends of the pins 38 and 39. The draftcheck damper 35 is also constructed so that it closes and remains closed by its own weight, this being due to the fact that the plate 4| is made heavier than the plate 40 and that the plate M is provided with an outwardly extending counterweight projection 44.

In the closed position of the draft-check damper, the under surfaces of the sideand lower edges of the plate 4| rest upon the'upper surfaces of the walls defining the lower half of the opening 34, and the upper surfaces of the side and upper edges of the plate 46 engage the over hanging under surfaces "of theframe" 36. 'In opening, the plate 4| swings outwardly and the plate 46 swings inwardly, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6. This ar rangement is advantageous in a draft-check damper for it aids in preventing the escape of combustion gases into the cellar or basement wherein the furnace is installed. The draftcheck damper 35 also includes an operating lug- 45 which is fixed at'one end to the plate 5| and extends beyond the'side of the damper 35 (see Fig. 4).

In furnaces of the typedescribed, it is desirable to have a regulating device to vary the positions of the draft and draft-check dampers in response to achanging operating characteristic of the furnace. It is customary for the regulating device to operate automatically in response to a selected function of the heat output of the furnace, to close the draft damper and open the draft-check damper when theheat output increases beyond a predetermined point, and to close the draft-check damper and open the draft damper when the heat output of the furnace decreases below a predetermined point.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide'a smoothly operating draft regulating device which performs effectively the above stated functions. As can be seen from an examination of Fig. 1, a regulator lever 41 is mounted on the topof the furnace I6 and is movable about a horizontal axis inresponse to changes in heat output of the furnace. One end of the lever l! overlies the dampers 35 and 2| and aconnecting-rod means 48 depends from such overlying end and is movable up and down therewith and is connected by lost-motion connecting means'with the draft damper 2| and with the draft-check damper 35.

The regulator lever 41 comprises a rocker member 55 having a fulcrum support indicated at 5| and a regulator arm 52 extending across and carried by the upper part of the rocker member 50 and including an outer end 53 from which the connecting rod means 48 depends. The rocker member 50 is operatively connected at 54 to a thermal-responsive element 55 and the latter functions to move the rocker member 50 and arm 52 about the fulcrum 5| in response to changes in heat output of the furnace.

In so far as the present invention is concerned, the thermal-responsive element 55 may be of any suitable construction and it may operate in response to any desired characteristic which reflects changes in the heat output of the boiler furnace I6; for example, the element 55 may be actuated in response to temperature changes in a hot water boiler or changes in'steam pressure in a steam boiler. In the construction shown, an increase in heat output willcause the rocker member 56 and regulator arm 52 to move in a clockwise direction about the fulcrum support 5 I, as viewed in Fig. 1, and thereby lower the end 53 of theregulator arm; and a decrease in heat output will result'in the rocker member 50 and arm 52-being moved counterclockwise about the support 5| and in raising the end 53 of the arm 52. a r r The operation of the regulator arm 52 may be so adjusted that the arm can be moved in the above described manner by the thermal responsive device-55 whenthe water temperature or steam pressure reaches or falls below any desired value. To this end, weights'56 are detachably secured to the arm 52 at opposite sides of the fulcrum 5|, and by changing the position of these Weights on the arm, the degree of operating forcerequired to move the lever may be changed at will, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

'I'he=conr 1ectingrod -means 48 comprises an upper rod 6|] and a lower rod 6|. The upper part of the rod 60 is screw threaded, as indicated at 62, and threadedly engages a-nut-device or'clevis 63pivoted to the outer end 53 of the arm 52 by a suitable pin 64 extending through aligned openings in the end 53 and clevis 63. The lower end of the rod 66 is pivotally connectedby-a transversely extending-pivot;pin ;65 to the upper end of the lower rod- 6|. .Thus, the rods 6|] and BI are functionally one rod which depends from a single end of the-lever 52 and which, as will-presently appear, operates both the draft damper and the draftecheck damper. Q e

-The lower end of the second connecting rod 6| extends through. the eye or opening 36 in the operating lug 29 of the. draft damper 2|, and attached tothe extreme lower end thereof isa collar 'lflIwhich .is held at. any desired adjusted position on the" rod by suitable lock nuts threadedly engaging the lower end of the rod 6|. The opening 30- is. of. sufficient size to loosely re-' ceive the lower end of the rod 6 Therefore, the opening 36 and collar provide a lost-motion connection between the rod 61 and the draft damper 2|. As the rod 6| moves downward due to a rise in'steam pressure or water temperature, the draft damper'2l is permitted to'close by its own weight; and, when the latter is closed, furtherimovement of-the rod 6| results in the rodsliding in the opening 36 and in the collar 16 moving'downw'ard and away from: the lug 29. Upward movement of the rod 6| will have no effect on the. damper until the ball-shaped upper end of the collar engages the underside of the lug 29. When the latter happens, further upward movement of the rod will result in lifting and opening the damper 2|, as can be seen by the dotted line position of the damper 2| in Fig. 6.

In accordance with the present invention, I have also provided. a lost-motion connection between an intermediate portion of the rod means 48 and the draft-check damper 35. This connection is here shown as being provided by an intermediate lever 15 of the first class which is advantageously pivoted or fulcrumed to the outer end of the pivot pin 38 of the draft-check damper. The lever 15 comprises an arm 16 which is pivotally connected at its outer end by the transversely extending pin 65 to the adjacent ends of the rods 60 and 6|. Thus, upward and downward movement of the rods 60 and 6| by the arm 52 results in the lever 15 being moved about the pivot pin 38. The lever 15 also comprises an arm ll which, when the lever is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, is adapted to engage the inner or underside of the lug 45 and lift and open the draft-check damper against its own weight. When the lever is moved in a clockwise direction, the draft-check damper is permitted to close by its own weight, and further movement of the lever in that direction will cause the arm 11 to become disengaged fro-m the lug 45 and draft-check damper 35.

From the above, it will be apparent that as the rod means 48 moves downward due to an increase in steam pressure or water temperature beyond the predetermined point determined by the position of the weights 56, the draft damper 2| will be permitted to close by its own weight, and the draft-check damper 35 will be opened by the lever 75. Conversely, when the rod means 48 is moved upwardly upon a decrease in steam pressure or water temperature, the draft-check damper 35 will be permitted to close by its own weight, and the draft damper 2| will be opened by the upper end of the collar 10 engaging the lug 29 and raising the damper 2|.

Preferably, my improved draft regulating device is so adjusted that the draft-check damper will just begin to open as the draft damper is closed, and also so that the draft damper will begin to open as the draft-check damper is closed. However, this relationship may be changed, if desired. The time of opening and closing of each of the dampers with respect to the closing and opening respectively of the other damper may be readily varied by changing the position of the collar 10 on the lower end of the rod 6|, thereby changing the effective length of the rod 6 I. This can be done readily by changing the adjustment of the lock nuts H on the rod 6|.

The eifective length of the upper rod 613 may be readily changed so as to adapt the range of movement of the rods and dampers to the range of movement of the particular regulator lever. This is effected by disconnecting the pin 65 and screwing the rod 60 upward or downward in the clevis 63. When the desired effective length of the rod 60 is attained, the adjacent ends of the rods 60 and 6| and the lever 15 are again readily secured together by inserting the pin 65. A suitable cotter pin extending through an opening in the end of the pin 65 serves to maintain the pivot connection between the rods and lever. This last adjustment may also be used to vary the full open positions of either of the dampers, if it is found necessary.

The adjustment of the effective length of the rod 60 cannot be varied after it is once made unless the pins 80 and 65 are removed, and the effective length of the rod 6| cannot be changed unless the lock nuts 1| are loosened.

From the above, it is apparent that I have provided an improved form of draft regulating device which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction. As both dampers are operated from one end of the regulator arm, complexity in linkage and awkwardness in arrangement are avoided. On account of the fact that the lever 15 is connected by a pin with the rods 66 and-6|, and is fulcrumed to move about the same axis as the draft-check damper, there is no sliding friction whatsoever in the movement of the lever by the rods 60 and 6|, and in the movement of the draft-check damper by the lever. The operation of the check damper is, therefore, effected with the greatest ease obtainable, and this is an important factor in the smooth operation of my improved regulating device. There is also very little sliding friction at the draft inlet damper 2|, because the ball-shaped upper face of the collar 1|] rolls on the surface of the eye 3!! and does not do much sliding. In the construction disclosed, care has been taken to eliminate sliding friction as much as possible, because if one loose part works on another part with sliding friction between them, the resistance is relatively high; and this is the reason for a jerky operation. An additional reason for smoothness in operation of my improved damper-operating mechanism is that the weight of the arm 16 of the lever 15 and the weight of the rod 6| are greater than the weight of the arm I1 and the unbalanced weight of the damper 35. Hence, when the rod means 48 is moving downward and as the draft damper 2| closes and the unbalanced weight thereof is released from the rod means, the rod means 68 does not change over and become a downwardly pushing element in order to open the draft-check damper 35. The pull on the rod means 48 is merely diminished when the damper 2| closes by an amount equal to the unbalanced weight of the draft damper, and the opening of the draft-check is therefore effected smoothly and without the usual attendant jerks in the operation of prior draft-regulating devices.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Control mechanism for furnaces having an inlet for air, comprising a damper pivoted to move about a fixed axis for controlling the flow of air through said inlet and weighted so as to be biased to closed position; said damper including a portion extending therefrom and adapted to be engaged at one side thereof for moving said damper in an opening direction; a lever of the first class pivoted to move about the same axis as said damper and including first and second arms; said first arm extending from the pivotal axis toward said extending portion of the damper and separably engaging said one side of said extending portion; and means including a lengthwise movable rod pivotally connected throughout its movement to the outer end of said second arm and operating in response to an increase in heat output of the furnace for moving said lever in a direction to effect engagement of said first arm and said one side of said extending damper portion for opening said damper, and operating in response to a decrease in heat output for moving said lever in a direction to permit closing of said damper and eifect separation of the engaging surfaces of said first arm and said extending portion of said damper.

2. In furnace apparatus of the type including a smoke outlet having a check-draft inlet opening therein; a check-draft damper pivoted to move about a fixed axis for controlling the flow of air through said inlet and weighted so as to be biased to closed position; said damper including an operating element extending therefrom and adapted to be engaged at one side thereof for moving said damper in an opening direction; a lever of the first class pivoted to move about the same axis as said damper and including first and second arms; said first arm extending from the pivotal axis toward said element and separably engaging said one side thereof; and means including a lengthwise movable rod pivotally connected throughout its movement to the outer end of said second arm and operating in response to an increase in heat output of the furnace for moving said lever in a direction to efiect engagement of said first arm and said one side of said element for opening said damper, and operating in response to a decrease in heat output for moving said lever in a direction to permit closing of said damper and effect separation of the engaging surfaces of said first arm and element.

3. In furnace apparatus of the type including a smoke outlet having a check-draft inlet opening therein; a check-draft damper pivoted to move about a fixed axis for controlling the flow of air through said inlet and weighted so as to be biased to closed position; said damper including an operating lug extending therefrom and adapted to be engaged at one side thereof for moving said damper in an opening direction; a lever of the first class pivoted to move about the same axis as said damper and including first and second arms; said first arm extending from the pivotal axis toward said lug and separably engaging said one side thereof; a damper regulator comprising a second lever having an end movable towards the outer end of said second arm in response to an increase in heat output of the fur nace and movable away from said second arm in response to a decrease in heat output; a rod pivotally connected at one end to the outer movable end of said second lever and pivotally connected at its other end to the outer end of said second arm; one of said pivotal connections including a nut device threadedly engaging the rod and the other of said pivotal connections including a removable pivot pin extending transversely through said rod and preventing rotation of said rod when in operative position.

4. In furnace apparatus of the type including a smoke outlet casing having a check-draft inlet opening therein; a check-draft damper pivoted to move about a fixed axis for controlling the fiow of air through said inlet and weighted so as to be biased to closed position; said damper including an operating lug extending therefrom at points spaced from the pivotal axis and adapted to be engaged at one side thereof for moving said damper in an opening direction; a lever of the first class pivoted to move about the same axis as said damper and including a first arm extending toward and separably engaging said one side of said lug and including a second arm extending from the pivotal axis in such a direction that a downward force applied to the outer end thereof will effect engagement between the first arm and lug to open the damper and an upward force applied to the outer end thereof will permit closing of the damper and eiTect disengagement between the second arm and lug; a damper regulator comprising a second lever having an end arranged above the outer end of said second arm and movable downward in response to an increase in heat output of the furnace and upward in response to a decrease in heat output of the furnace; and a rod pivotally connected at its upper end to said outer end of said second lever and pivotally connected at its lower end to the outer end of said second arm.

BERNARD GOERG. 

